Beauty
by AlexanderCastle
Summary: A series of loosely connected one-shots taken from different moments in the lives of Mal Fallon and Natara Williams. Fluff, romance, and family stuff ahead. Set after the end of Volume 16:7, discounts the events of the series epilogue. In other words, slightly AU. Not in chronological order.
1. Beauty Redefined

**Beauty - A series of inter-related one-shots set in the Cause of Death universe**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Cause of Death.**

**Setting: Paris, a year after the events of Episode 16, minus the Epilogue.**

* * *

He stands in the doorway that leads out onto the balcony of the hotel room, watching his girlfriend as she contentedly stares out over the Parisian skyline. Her raven-black hair falls neatly over her shoulders, framing her slender features perfectly, and turns an almost plum red colour as the last rays of the setting sun hit it. It's the fourth night of their two week long holiday in Paris and, while he's still slightly surprised that they were able to get that much time off without there being any issues, there's no reason for him to complain. She's relaxed and truly at ease for the first time now in over three months, and he finds himself truly grateful to be able to spend this precious time with the woman that he loves. "You were right when you said we should come back here, Mal. The view from up here is absolutely gorgeous".

It takes him a few seconds to realize that she's spoken. Her voice is soft and gentle, the tone that she saves for when they're alone together instead of the formal, business-like, tones she takes while they're hunting for serial killers, and he can't help but think about the way that he seems to fall a little deeper in love with her every time that she speaks to him in that way. He walks over to join her by the balcony, offering his arm to her. She accepts gratefully and lets him slip his arm around her shoulders as she leans into his side. He kisses her on the cheek tenderly, and his mouth lingers at her ear momentarily after he pulls away. "It is indeed. It's still nothing compared to you though"

She blushes at his compliment, playfully punching him in the shoulder. "Sap"

"Only for you, my dear Natara. Only for you".

He can feel the small box digging into his leg through the thin black pants he is wearing, eagerly awaiting its chance to play its own part in his plans for the night, and he can't help but think back to the moment that he knew the contents of the box would be perfect for the woman beside him.

**~Three weeks earlier~**

The bell mounted above the shop door tinkled as Mal pushed it open and stepped through into the small San Francisco jewellery store. The receptionist currently on duty, a young blonde woman who Mal thought couldn't have been more than 23 years of age, looked up right away, smiling as she spotted him. "How may I be of service, sir?"

The detective considered the question. "Could you help me find an engagement ring, please? I'm planning to propose to my girlfriend in Paris later this month, and I'm having a bit of trouble finding the perfect ring for her".

The woman nodded. "Of course, that's what I'm here for. Are you looking for anything specific?"

Mal rubbed the back of his head nervously. Despite the fact that he'd been planning to do something like this for a while, the sheer enormity of the decision to change his relationship with Natara had not quite hit him yet. "Something simple yet elegant. Suitable for her to wear to work if she wanted to, but also suitable for her to wear for any special events or celebrations that she might have to attend. Do you have anything like that?"

The woman, whose nametag read Kirsty, smiled at the detective as he spoke. "I think I might have just the thing you're looking for. Right this way"

Mal followed the young woman over to a counter on the right side of the store. She slid the drawers to the counter open and reached inside briefly, before producing a small box of blue velvet and laying it on top of the counter between them. "Alright, what do you think of this one?"

She flicked the lid of the box back to reveal a ring of white gold. Both sides of the band met at the top, winding around the diamond mounted in the exact center, which, Mal considered, was practically perfect for Natara. And, as an added bonus, it matched his girlfriend's grey eyes beautifully. "What type of ring is it?"

"It's a Mark Schneider design Aerial ring. We have three different ones available. This one here is 14-carat gold, we also have 18-carat gold and platinum in the same design".

Mal studied the ring for a moment longer, before nodding. "I don't need to see anything else. This one is absolutely perfect. It's exactly what I'm looking for. Thank you so much".

The younger woman nodded, taking the ring over to the register. "Would you like it engraved?" she queried.

"Please. I want the words 'Beauty Redefined' engraved on the inside, preferably right here" Mal responded, indicating the desired spot with one finger.

"Certainly. It should be done in four to five days, if you want to come back then".

Mal smiled appreciatively. "Thank you. Is it alright if I pay for it now?"

"Of course, sir. I'll just need to take your name and phone number so that I can get someone to call you when it's ready".

Mal reached into his pocket and withdrew a handful of business cards secured by an elastic band, placing one of them on the counter between them. "There you go".

He quickly paid and thanked the girl again before leaving the store, a smile on his face. Natara was going to love this.

**~Present day~**

"What're you thinking about, Mal?" Natara queries idly, breaking him from his thoughts.

He can't help but notice that, while he was lost in his memories of the events three weeks ago, she has shifted slightly so that, while she is still snuggled into his side, her head is now resting lightly on his shoulder. He places a gentle kiss to the younger woman's forehead before responding. "How lucky I am. I have a beautiful girlfriend, an amazing partner, great friends, and a job I love doing. There's only one way my life could get any better than this" he mused.

"And how exactly would that be?"

Mal's hand close around the box of blue velvet in his pocket, and he withdraws it, palming the box in his hand to keep it from his girlfriend's eyes. "I'm going to need a little space for this, if you don't mind".

Natara raises an eyebrow, but nods, reluctantly shifting so she is no longer leaning against her boyfriend. Mal lifts the box from his side, rotating it so that the side with the hinges is facing towards him before letting Natara spot it. Her grey eyes widen. "Mal…"

Mal sinks to one knee in front of her, flicking the lid of the box back to reveal the ring that he had purchased three weeks earlier. "You've been my girlfriend for over a year now, and recent events have made me realize that there's no sense in putting off until tomorrow what you can do today. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone else, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Natara Williams, will you marry me?"

Unable to speak, her grey eyes fill with tears, and she nods wordlessly as her new fiancée slides the ring from its box and onto her finger before getting to his feet. Throwing her arms around him, she brings her lips to his ear, whispering "Yes. Yes, Mal. I will marry you".

He hugs her back, whispering his thanks into her neck. His warm breath tickles the back of her neck as he does so, and she can't help but laugh at the feeling. "I love you" she whispers.

"I love you too, Natara. So, so much".


	2. Consideration

**Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Cause of Death, nor do I own any of the characters except Kirsty (the sales clerk in the previous Chapter), Sarah (the real estate agent in this Chapter), and Victoria Fallon (the as-yet-unborn daughter of Mal and Natara)**

**This Chapter references events from Volume 1 of CoD.**

**Setting - Pacific Heights, two years after Mal proposed to Natara.**

"Are you absolutely sure about this, Mal? Surely there are other neighbourhoods that are less… killer-ish… than this one. And probably more suited to our needs, too" the woman muttered, casting a glance at the man who sat in the driver's seat of the car beside her as he pulled their car into a free parking space on the side of the road.

The man sighed, reaching over to undo his seatbelt before leaning over and kissing her gently on the cheek. "As much as I agree that there are definitely neighbourhoods more suited to our needs than Pacific Heights, Nat, we owe it to ourselves to at least check the place out, right?"

Though she was unconvinced, Nat gave a slight nod before undoing her own seatbelt as her companion opened his door and stepped out of the car, quickly moving to her door and opening it, offering his hand to help her out. She accepted gratefully, and the two of them stood there momentarily, appraising the large house they had parked in front of. The walls were made of some sort of whitewashed brick, like many of the other houses in the area. A gravel driveway led down the side of the house to a wooden garage that looked to be big enough to fit two cars in with plenty of room to breathe, and in the front of the house a small flight of green wooden steps led up to a plain-looking oak door. The few trees that surrounded it were clearly well-kept, as was the lush green grass of the front lawn, where a large 'For Sale' sign had been set up. Nat cast a glance at the man standing beside her. "Last chance, Mal. We can get back in the car, turn around, get out of here, and find somewhere a bit smaller. No-one has to even know we were here".

The only response she received was the feeling of his arm slipping around her waist and a whispered "Too late for that, unfortunately. We've been spotted".

She looked up in surprise, and sighed when she noticed the woman in the blue suit approaching them from the general direction of the front door. "Can I help you two?" the real estate agent queried.

The man nodded. "I'm Mal, and this is my wife, Natara. We were passing through the neighbourhood when we saw the 'For Sale' sign, and we were wondering if we might be able to take a look around the place, maybe ask you a couple of things about the neighbourhood".

The woman looked thoughtfully at them for a moment, and for a moment Natara felt like they had met her before, but the woman nodded and the feeling of recognition vanished. "Of course. What do you want to know?"

"Is there anything in particular that may detract from our safety or that of any children we may have in the future?" Natara queried.

Her hand rested protectively on the swell of her stomach beneath her long-sleeved black shirt, and Mal glanced at her, wordlessly asking her if she was alright. She nodded, giving him the gentle smile she seemed to reserve only for him, before both of them turned their attention back to the real estate agent. "Not that I'm aware of, no. The house on the cliff was used by the serial killer known as The Maskmaker for a while a couple of years ago, but it's been abandoned ever since his death. The neighbourhood has actually been rather quiet since then. I mean, it was quiet before, but now it's even more so".

Natara cast a quick glance at her husband as the real estate agent spoke, making sure that he was alright. _Mal remembered the Maskmaker case well, probably even better than she herself did. She supposed Eric's betrayal had hurt him deeper than he'd ever care to admit. It was the same way with her for Shawn Mallory's betrayal. She'd long since moved on from the man who had once been her boyfriend, of course, otherwise she and Mal wouldn't be where they were that day, but it still stung a little. And it probably always would._ At last, Mal spoke. "That's good to know. Is there anything else we should know before we take a look around the place? It's not that we're worried about serial killers or anything, though it's definitely nice to know there's no need to be concerned in that regard, but it's more that we're wanting to be sure of the safety of our daughter".

The real estate agent, whose nametag Natara had only just noticed read 'Sara', smiled at them. "You're pregnant? If you don't mind me asking, how far along are you?"

Natara couldn't help but smile back. "Five months as of two days ago. When we found out last week that we were going to have a daughter, everything just sort of fell into place. We've even picked out a name for her already. Victoria. Honestly, I don't think I've ever been happier".

Mal smiled at her, slipping his arm around her waist, and she leaned into his side instinctively. "Neither have I. Now come on, we have a house to check out".

**Updated to fix a typo in Natara's narration where she refers to her husband as 'she'. No clue how that got in there.**


	3. A Stormy Night

**Thank you so much for all of your kind Reviews (and for welcoming me into the fandom), you have no idea how much I appreciate it. **

**Here's an update.**

_**For Tori, without whom I might never have tried my hand at writing Matara 'fics. I owe you. **_

_**Disclaimer: EA owns Cause of Death, not me. Though I do have the game on my iPhone.**_

_**Setting - Five years after 'Consideration', though with a flashback to the day Mal found out Natara was pregnant.**_

**~Natara Williams~**

_-Just under six years ago-_

_The black-haired woman stared at the sheet of crisp, white, paper in her hand. There was no doubt in her mind now why she had been feeling so off for the past couple of weeks, and it had nothing to do with the cold weather they had been experiencing lately or with the stress of the cases she and her husband had been working. She'd suspected as much, honestly, but it was always good to have confirmation of the truth. "Nat? You alright?"_

_She glanced up, her grey eyes meeting her husband's blue ones, and she nodded. "I'm fine, Mal. Just… thinking about things"._

_Her husband shrugged off his jacket, hanging it on the coat rack near the door. "Anything in particular that I should know about?" he queried._

_Natara grinned in response, holding up the paper she had been looking at. "Is that… Is that what I think it is?"_

_"__Yup. The results came back, Mal. And they're exactly what we thought they'd be"._

_She couldn't help but laugh at the awestruck look on Mal's face. "You're pregnant?"_

_She smiled, standing and meeting him halfway between the couch and the door. Her husband wrapped his arms around her waist, and she burrowed her face into his neck, breathing in the distinctive scent of his cologne. "Yeah, I am. We're going to be parents, Mal"._

_In response, her husband's arms fastened tighter around her waist, and she looked up, noticing his wide smile and sparkling blue eyes. "You're going to be an amazing mother, Nat. You're kind, loving, dedicated, loyal, and the most amazing person I have ever known. You have so much love to give that it's impossible for you not to be"._

_She felt herself blush. "Thank you. And for the record, I think you're going to be an absolutely amazing father"._

_She had never really thought of herself as the kind of person who would ever be a mother, but ever since she had started to suspect that she was pregnant about five days before, she'd been eagerly awaiting the results. And Mal's reaction to the news had just sealed the deal for her. She chuckled as her husband placed a light kiss to the top of her forehead, and he pulled away slightly, giving her a questioning look. "What's so funny?" he queried._

_"__I just realized. We're going to need a bigger house"._

_Her husband paused, considering this. While the apartment that they currently used was bigger than the one that he had previously lived in, it was still small, possessing only a bedroom, a bathroom that could only be accessed from that bedroom, a lounge, a small hallway, and a couple of small guest rooms, one of which was being used for a study. While it was far from the worst possible place for them to raise their family, it was also far from the best. Mal smiled at her. "I'll have to do some research, but I think that I might have the perfect place in mind"._

_Natara narrowed her eyes. "You're not going to tell me, are you?"_

_Mal smirked playfully. "Nope"._

-Present day-

She wasn't sure what it was that woke her, whether it was the thunderstorm outside the house or the creaking floorboard near the doorway into the master bedroom, but she sat up, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the dimly-lit room. Her grey eyes focused on a figure standing by the doorway that led into the room, and she smiled softly. "Victoria, what are you doing up so late?" she asked softly, careful not to wake her sleeping husband.

"Scared" came her daughter's whisper from the doorway where she was standing.

Her eyes caught the subtle way in which the young girl's body was trembling, and she immediately realized what the matter was. "'Toria, did the storm scare you?" she queried.

Her daughter nodded, and the raven-haired woman immediately opened her arms. "Come here".

Running to her side immediately, the young girl threw herself into her mother's arms, and Natara caught her breath as her daughter's weight pressed against her stomach. Immediately, Victoria pulled back, the sapphire eyes she had inherited from her father full of concern. "Mommy? Did I hurt you?"

Shaking her head softly, Natara placed a gentle arm around her daughter's waist and pressed a kiss to the girl's forehead. "No, not at all, 'Toria. My stomach's just very sensitive at the moment, remember?"

"Oh".

As the girl slipped into the empty space between her parents, burrowing her way under the warm blankets, she nuzzled into her mother's neck, and the feeling, that sensation of closeness with someone she loved, caused Natara's heart to skip a beat. Victoria Fallon was a cuddler, just like her father. _And really, _Natara thought as she rested one hand on the slight swell of her stomach, _I can't think of anything better on a night like tonight._ As she drifted off to sleep, her last thoughts were of how amazingly perfect her life had become in the past six years, and how there was absolutely no way she'd ever want to have it any other way.

**How was it?**

**And yes, the last paragraph does hint that Natara is pregnant for a second time (which is probably correct). I'd love to hear your thoughts on possible names for either gender, since I haven't decided whether the child will be a boy or girl yet. Or twins (also possible).**

**Edit - 'she felt herself blushed'? I could have sworn I'd fixed that. Well, it's fixed now.**


	4. Perfection

**Here's the next part of the continuing story of Mal and Natara, as well as their family (and friends). This one takes place approximately four months after Consideration, and five years before A Stormy Night. Mal and Natara have been married for about two years.**

**Again, thank you to everyone who Reviewed. I love hearing your thoughts.**

_**Disclaimer - Do you really need to know this? No, I don't own the rights to Cause of Death. Never have.**_

**For Tori, who suggested the full name of Mal and Natara's first-born daughter.**

* * *

Mal stared down at the new-born girl in his arms, marvelling at how perfect his daughter was. Her entire body, wrapped in the soft white of a hospital blanket was tiny enough to fit into his arms without taking up very much room at all, though still big enough to be perfectly healthy, and her tiny chest rose and fell with every breath that she took. Her bright eyes, a shade of blue almost exactly like his own, flickered open, fixing themselves on his face, and her mouth split open in a toothless grin. Mal couldn't help but smile back at her. When he spoke next, his voice was gentle, almost soft. "Hey, kiddo"

He tickled his daughter's stomach with one finger, and a sound that, to Mal, sounded like something between a gurgle and a giggle escaped the new-born's lips. And the SFPD Detective was certain that it was the most perfect sound that he had ever heard. "Isn't she the most beautiful, perfect, thing you've ever seen?"

Mal glanced up as the woman lying in the hospital bed next to him spoke, her voice just as quiet as his own, and the cobalt-blue of his eyes met the soft grey of his wife's. He smiled softly at her. "She certainly is. It's almost hard to believe that this is really happening, that we're actually parents now. This little life is depending on us for nourishment, security, and unconditional love, and we're actually ready to do this".

Natara laughed softly, her voice melodious as it filled the air of the quiet hospital room. Their daughter shifted slightly in Mal's arms, as if she sensed her mother's presence nearby. "Oh, this is really happening alright, Mal. The exhaustion I feel right now will attest to that".

Mal stood from the chair beside his wife's bed, instead sitting down beside her, and together they stared down at their daughter. "God, Mal, she's so beautiful".

"With a mother like you, how could she be anything but?" her husband replied.

Natara blushed. It had always been rare that someone could make her feel as confident about herself as she did at that point, or at least it had been until she had met Mal for the first time only a couple of years earlier. Ever since their first meeting during the Maskmaker case, she had always been sure that there was something about the older detective's personality that had, quite honestly, intrigued her. She was a little surprised by how long it had taken her to realize that she had fallen for the man who was now her husband, but she knew that, if she had the chance, she wouldn't have changed a thing. Her husband's gentle voice broke her from her thoughts. "Nat? Nat, honey, the doctor's here".

She looked up, surprised. A tall, blonde-haired, man stood patiently at the foot of the bed. "Dr. Baxter. What can we do for you?" she queried.

"Do you have a name for her yet?" the doctor queried, hopeful. "We really do need something to put on her birth certificate".

Mal and Natara glanced at each other. In the four months that had passed since they had purchased their new house, the subject of names had come up almost too many times to mention. It had always been their plan to name their first child Victoria, if the child in question turned out to be a girl, and the last name was always, naturally, going to be Fallon, so the focal point of their discussions for most of those four months were middle names. And eventually, they had settled on one that they liked more than any other. As soon as Mal had spoken the name a week before the due date, they had both known. Mal nodded. "Her name is Victoria. Victoria Eliza Fallon".

"A beautiful name"

**~Ten minutes later~**

A black-haired young woman poked her head into the room. "Hey guys".

Mal smiled at her. "Hi Amy"

The data analyst crossed to stand beside the bed. "Have you thought of a name yet?"

Natara smiled warmly, her eyes never leaving the sleeping form of her daughter. "Amy, we'd like you to meet Victoria Eliza Fallon"

Amy smiled. "It's a perfect name. She's beautiful, you two. She really is"

"Would you like to hold her?" Natara queried.

Amy's eyes widened. "Can I?"

Mal nodded, slipping his hands gently under the blanket-wrapped form of his daughter and lifting her before passing her to Amy. Amy took her carefully into her arms, tickling the new-born's chest gently with one finger as Mal himself had done only minutes before. After this had gone on for a couple of minutes without anyone speaking, Natara and Mal glanced at each other, Mal nodding. "Amy, Mal and I have been thinking a lot about this, and there's something the two of us would like to ask you".

Their friend glanced up, confused. "What is it?"

"We were wondering whether you'd do us the honour of being her godmother"

Amy blinked back tears at the unexpected offer. "Do you… Do you guys really mean that?"

"Of course we mean it. You're one of our best friends, Amy, I can't imagine anyone we'd rather have be Victoria's godmother" Natara confirmed softly.

Mal nodded. "So, what do you say? Will you?"

"Of course. I'd be delighted to".

* * *

**I've been waiting to find a good place to get Amy in, and this seemed like the perfect time to do so. Enjoy!**


	5. Of Surprises and Revelations

**Here's one of my personal favorite parts of the Beauty 'verse. It's supposed to act as a prequel to Beauty Redefined and explores the reasoning behind Mal and Natara still being in San Francisco in the rest of the storyline (except for the non-flashback part of Beauty Redefined and their eventual honeymoon, which I still need to come up with a location for).**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer - If I owned CoD it wouldn't have ended as soon as it did.**

**Setting - Around two months after the ending of V16E7. Kind of an AU version of the series epilogue.**

* * *

Mal sighed, tapping the pen in his hand against his desk. It had been two months (two and a half months, if he was being exact) since the Firstborn case had finally concluded with the serial killer's death. And things had been way too quiet for the brunette detective's liking. "Hey"

The familiar voice and gentle hand on his shoulder caused Mal to look up, smiling as he looked into the grey eyes of his girlfriend. "Hi".

His girlfriend sank down into the chair next to his desk. "Did I miss anything interesting?" she queried.

Mal shook his head. "No, just paperwork. Anders was insistent that I spend a week requalifying to use my service weapon and everything after what happened two months ago, so I've been busy with that, and today I got cleared for active duty again. I don't officially start again until tomorrow though, and even then I'll probably only be working half the hours for another three days while I finish any recovering that's left for me to do" he responded.

Natara sighed. "I see".

There was a pause for a few seconds, and then Natara's face broke into a smile. "Oh, by the way, there was something I wanted to show you".

She reached into the pocket of her jeans, withdrawing a folded sheet of paper, which she placed on the desk in front of her boyfriend. "Have a read of that".

Mal unfolded it, and did as his girlfriend suggested, his eyes widening in surprise as the contents sunk in. "Really?"

Natara nodded wordlessly, and Mal pulled her into a tight hug. "That's fantastic news, Nat. I'm so happy for you".

"I wouldn't have had the courage to go through with suggesting it to the Director if it wasn't for you backing me up, Mal. I need to go tell the Captain, could you call Amy and the others and get them to come up here as soon as they're free? I think it's best if we tell them all at once rather than one or two at a time".

"Of course, Nat"

"Thank you"

Mal's girlfriend placed a brief kiss to his cheek before taking the piece of paper and walking in the direction of Captain Ander's office. He waited for a couple of minutes, watching her walk away, before pulling out his cell phone and dialling a number. "Hello?"

"Hi, Amy. Is Kai there at the moment?"

There was a pause, indicating that the data analyst was checking for the technician's presence, before she responded. "Yup!"

Mal grinned. "Good. Could you put me on speaker, please? I'd prefer to be able to talk to you both at the same time"

"Sure, Mal, no problem!"

"Thanks, Amy. That makes things so much easier".

There was a pause before the data analyst spoke again. "Alright, Mal, you're on speaker. What can we do for you?"

"Natara wants both of you up here as soon as possible. She has a rather important announcement that she wants to make today, and she'd prefer everyone to hear it at once rather than just a few people at a time" the detective replied.

"Alright, we should be up there in about five minutes!"

Mal allowed himself a slight smile. Everything was going perfectly so far. "Great. I'll see you soon then".

"Yup!"

And with that, the data analyst hung up. Mal waited for a few seconds before hitting the button to end the call and keying in Jeremy's number. "Jeremy?"

"Mal. It's good to hear from you. You and Natara really had us worried".

Mal chuckled. "We're absolutely fine. No need to worry about us".

His friend laughed for a brief moment as well, before becoming serious. "What do you need?"

"Can you get Reed and meet us back at the Precinct? Natara has an announcement that she'd like to make, and she'd prefer to make it in front of everyone at the same time".

"Any hints you can give me as to what's going on?"

Mal laughed. "Nope. You'll just have to wait and see".

"Darn you. Alright, we'll be there soon".

**~Shortly afterwards~**

"Looks like we're all here. So, if you don't mind telling us what this is all about now, Mal…"

_Not all of us are here, really._ Mal thought bitterly. _Blaise sacrificed herself to kill Noroi and save San Francisco from the Nightmare drug…_ "Patience, Jeremy. I promise all will be revealed soon enough".

"But how soon is that?" Kai wondered.

Mal was considering his next words carefully when the door to the Captain's office opened and his girlfriend stepped out into the bullpen, followed closely by Captain Anders. "Attention, everyone. Agent Williams here has a special announcement that she'd like to make".

"Oh, so that's how soon" Kai muttered, receiving a glare from the Captain which shut him up almost immediately.

Natara smiled gratefully at the Captain. "Thank you, sir. As I'm sure you will all remember, given the work that each and every one of us had to put in to stop him, and the sacrifices that were made, it has been two months since The Firstborn and his allies were killed. I received a call from the Director of the FBI yesterday. As my investigation into the Maskmaker's mysterious benefactor has officially concluded, they wanted me to return to DC immediately. However…"

She paused, letting her words sink in. "However what?" Reed prompted.

"With Mal's support, I was able to convince him to let me stay here. As it turns out, he had been looking for someone to act as a liaison between the FBI and this Precinct for a while, and, after talking with me yesterday, he came to the conclusion that I would be perfect for the job".

She pulled out the letter, unfolding it and laying it on Mal's desk so that everyone could read it. "This letter arrived from the Bureau earlier today and officially confirmed it. I'm officially the liaison between this Precinct and the FBI now".

"So, what does that mean?" Amy queried.

"It means that while I'll still have to check in with the Director in Quantico every once in a while, by either email or phone call, I'm free to stay here in San Francisco for as long as I want to and continue to solve murders with the rest of you"

As their friends digested this news, Natara turned to Mal, giving him a questioning look. Knowing what she needed immediately, without her even having to ask, he moved to her side, slipping an arm around her side as she burrowed her head into the crook of his neck. "I'm so amazingly proud of you, Natara. You did what you had to do, and you got out of it the exact result you were hoping for. You just continue to amaze me" he whispered quietly.

She smiled, lifting her head to look into his eyes, and pressed her lips to his briefly. "I have all I could ever need right here in San Francisco, why would I ever want to go anywhere else?"

_I can think of one very good reason. Actually, make that two very good reasons _Mal thought wistfully, though refrained from voicing such thoughts out loud. He had waited years for someone like Natara to come into his life, he could wait a little longer. And when he couldn't wait any more… well, he'd be sure to get it absolutely perfect. Because perfection was exactly what Natara Williams deserved.

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**There we go, I hope that explained it! Please Review!**

**Oh, and if you guys could possibly vote in the Poll on my profile, I swear I will love you guys for freaking ever.**


	6. After The Storm

**Yup, another chapter of pure Fallon family fluff. This takes place the morning after A Stormy Night (which took place on a Saturday night).**

_**For Tori, who loves Mal/Natara, and Nat, who knew about this story first (and inspired the creation of it by suggesting I write something more involving 5-year old Victoria).**_

_**Disclaimer - In my dreams, I own them, yes. In real life, not so much.**_

* * *

Mal yawned, rolling over in an attempt to greet his wife, only to come face to face with the raven black hair and sparkling sapphire eyes of a girl who couldn't have been more than five years old. "Hey kiddo. Good morning"

He reached out with one hand, brushing a strand of his daughter's black hair away from her eyes before placing a kiss to her forehead. "Morning, daddy"

His daughter's voice was quiet, still husky from sleep. "Where's your mother?"

His daughter twisted her head slightly, nodding towards the door that led to the ensuite bathroom. "Mommy not well".

The simple reply that fell from the mouth of Mal's five-year old daughter made the detective smile slightly. "That's right, Victoria. She's going to be better soon though. Remember how we told you that you were going to be a big sister in about six months?"

His query was met by the girl's excited nodding. He chuckled, waiting until she was somewhat calmer once more before continuing. "Well, that's why your mom's been feeling ill lately"

There was the sound of a flushing toilet from behind the closed bathroom door, then the sound of the tap being turned on and off a couple of seconds later. "What are you two talking about?"

Mal glanced up at the sound of Natara's voice, smiling at his wife as she exited the bathroom and walked towards the bed. "I was just telling Victoria why you've not been feeling well lately, that's all".

Natara looked confused. "Oh?"

"Daddy said it was because of my little brother or sister" Victoria added.

Natara smiled gently. "Yeah, I guess it has been. I'm fine now though. Hey, what do you feel like for breakfast?"

"Can we have pancakes?"

Natara and Mal exchanged glances, Mal nodding after a couple of seconds. Thankfully, their daughter was still young enough that pancakes were a completely innocent choice of breakfast food, rather than the edible way of saying 'thank you so much for last night' that both Mal and his wife knew them to be. "Sure, kiddo. Smiley-face pancakes?"

Victoria jumped up and down excitedly. "Yes, please!"

Mal chuckled. "Alright then. You go ahead downstairs and your mother and I will be down in a couple of minutes, alright?"

"Okay, daddy"

As the five-year old girl ran from the room to head downstairs, Natara instinctively shouted out "Don't run in the house!"

"Sorry, mommy!"

As soon as their daughter was out of earshot, Mal smiled gently, swinging his legs over the side of their bed and standing, before crossing to stand beside his wife. Instantly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face down to her, sealing their lips together in a brief, though tender, kiss. Mal grinned. "I have wanted to do that ever since I woke up"

Natara grinned. "Oh? And how long ago was that?"

"About fifteen minutes now" her husband replied, gently nuzzling his head into the crook of her neck, breathing in the distinctive scent of her watermelon-scented shampoo.

She sighed quietly, almost wistfully, before pulling away. "C'mon, Mal. You promised to make Victoria smiley-face pancakes for breakfast. You and I both know how impatient she can be when she's promised smiley-face pancakes".

"She gets that from you" Mal chuckled.

Natara shoved him playfully, shooting him a pretend glare. "Take that back, Mal"

Mal held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. You're right, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that our daughter got her impatience when it comes to smiley-face pancakes from you"

_Even though she totally _did Mal thought. Unaware of the direction of her husband's thoughts, Natara gave him a satisfied smile before turning and heading down the stairs to join their daughter in the kitchen where she was waiting for them, her husband trailing a couple of steps behind her.

**~About thirty minutes later~**

"So, Victoria, how did you sleep?" Mal queried, taking another sip of his coffee.

"The storm was scary, but Mommy let me cuddle up in your bed and I felt better"

Mal nodded. Only a couple of minutes before, as they moved around the kitchen, talking idly while making breakfast together as they usually did on Sunday mornings, Natara had told him how, woken by the previous night's thunderstorm, Victoria had come to their room and Natara had let her snuggle up in their bed between the two of them. "I used to be scared of storms too, actually" Natara confessed a couple of seconds later.

Mal looked at her, surprised. That was one of the few pieces of information he didn't know about his wife, and he was surprised that she had ever been scared of storms. It seemed ridiculous that the brave, loyal, amazing woman who he loved with all his heart could ever be scared of a thunderstorm. She was, and had been ever since they had first met at that crime scene more than seven years before, one of the most courageous people he knew, and it seemed impossible that she'd ever been anything but. "Really?"

The raven-haired woman sitting next to him at the table shrugged. "We lived in a big house, one actually not all that much bigger than the one that we live in now. And the shapes that the branches outside of my windows made when the lightning flashed through them could be kind of freaky even at the best of times. It didn't help that the whole house was… well, very echoey. Made the noise that thunder made sound a lot scarier than it really was…"

Her husband nodded. "Yeah, I can understand that. Growing up in a big, echoey, house, a thunderstorm would probably frighten even the bravest child" he commented.

Turning his attention back to the raven-haired, blue-eyed, girl that sat across from Natara and himself, Mal smiled softly at his daughter. "Hey, Victoria, how about we do something as a family today to ease your mind about last night's storm?" he queried.

His daughter looked up, excitement shining in her sapphire eyes. "What kind of thing?"

Natara smiled, glancing out of the window at the clear sky that was almost the same shade of blue as the eyes of her husband and daughter before turning her attention back to them and replying. "Well, it looks like it's going to be a beautiful day, how about we finish breakfast and go for a walk in the park?"

"Picnic?" Victoria queried.

Natara laughed gently. "If you'd like"

The smile that lit up her daughter's face told her everything she needed to know. "Mal, would you mind calling Amy, Jeremy, and the others, and asking if they'd like to meet up with us for lunch?"

"Of course, it would be my pleasure to".

Natara got to her feet, taking the phone from its charger on the kitchen bench and handing it to her husband. It was going to be a fun day.

* * *

**So that's another chapter in the lives of Mal, Natara, and Victoria, I hope you enjoyed.**

**And there's your confirmation that Nat's pregnant with her and Mal's second child (though I always thought it was rather obvious, personally).**

**And again, if you could all vote in the poll on my Profile, I'll love you guys for-freaking-ever.**

**Reviews make me happy (unless they're bad, in which case they clearly don't). Please leave some? I'd love to hear your thoughts.**


	7. When He Sees Her

**Here's the next part of the Beauty arc. This time, it's Mal and Natara's wedding!**

**Leila: Thank you for the Review and for your kind words, that means so much to me. I hope you enjoy this update as much as the last one.**

**_For Tori. Happy Birthday. And for Nat. Thanks for your help and for letting me rant about my ideas._  
**

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own them. Not last time I checked, anyway.**

**Setting - One year after Mal's proposal.**

* * *

"You absolutely 100% sure that you're ready for this, Mal?"

Mal glances up at the sound of Jeremy's voice, giving his best man a reassuring smile. "Of course, why would I not be?"

"It's just that… in a couple of hours, you'll be promising to spend the rest of your life with Natara. One woman for the rest of your life. Doesn't that scare you?"

Mal nods. "Yeah, Jeremy, of course it scares me. I'm scared that one of us is going to do something stupid, that we're going to mess up in some way or that I'll lose her. I'm worried that I'm not going to be good enough for her. But I'm also feeling really, really, excited. Natara is… she's absolutely amazing, and I haven't felt quite this way about anyone else for a long time. We've been working towards something like this for a little under a year and it's finally time for it all to pay off. So yeah, I'm excited. I can't wait, in fact"

"Good to know"

His friend crosses to the door, opening it and glancing quickly out into the hallway, before turning and gesturing to the suit on the chair next to the detective. "Now, why don't you finish getting ready and make sure you're ready to marry the woman you love, and I shall go see how the hall looks and if there's any last minute preparations that will need to be made?"

Jeremy phrases it as though it's a question, and, though Mal is aware that it isn't, he smiles and nods in agreement. As Jeremy disappears through the door, closing it behind him, Mal is already getting to his feet and reaching for the articles of clothing on the chair. His best man is right, he can't afford to waste time.

**~One hour and thirty-five minutes later~**

He's nervous as hell right now. He's standing next to Jeremy in front of the altar, on what is without a doubt the happiest day of his life, and he can't keep still. His hands, folded neatly together in front of him, are twitching with anticipation, and his mind constantly wanders to his fiancée's features. The way that her dark hair frames her perfect face, falling to just below her delicate, swan-like, neck. The way she smiles softly at him whenever she thinks he's not looking, and quite frequently even when she knows that he is, and the way her eyes shine with pure, undisguised, love. The way he feels like a huge weight has been lifted off of his shoulders whenever she eases herself into his side and rests her head on his chest or shoulder. "Mal".

Jeremy's quiet whisper and gentle nudge bring him out of his thoughts, and he glances at his best man beside him. Jeremy inclines his head in the direction of the church aisle, indicating for Mal to turn around, and the detective does so, feeling his breath catch in his throat as he takes in the sight of the woman walking towards him on her father's arm. Her dress is simple, yet elegant. Her raven hair is tied back, with a single strand falling loose to brush against each of her cheeks. She is wearing very little makeup, from what the detective can see, what little she is wearing being enough to highlight her already-gorgeous features. Her dress clings tightly to her body in a shape that reminds Mal somewhat of a champagne flute, accentuating her slender figure, though wider around her lower legs, and her mouth is open in a soft smile, showing perfect white teeth. Jeremy exhales. "Wow".

Mal merely nods in response to his friend's statement, too stunned by the sight of the woman approaching the altar to do anything more. As if she knows he's watching her, she turns her head slightly to look straight at him, and her eyes catch his. As they lock eyes, he could swear that all else in the room seems to fall away, and just the two of them remain. His heart seems to skip a beat with every step closer to him she takes, until she's standing right beside him, facing him, their eyes meeting and her left hand intertwined with his right, and he would happily die then and there just because his dream has come true and he's finally marrying the woman he loves (although when he thinks about it he has to admit to himself that he really would rather not die after all, not when he and Natara still have so much left of life to live). "Take care of her" her father says quietly as he leaves to take his own seat.

"I will" Mal replies in agreement.

He is only dimly aware of the preacher speaking, followed by a brief silence. And then he can't help but smile at his fiancée, the woman who he is achingly close to being able to call his wife, and the perfect words suddenly spring to mind. "Natara. From the moment we met at the docks during the Maskmaker investigation, I knew there was something special about you. You were intelligent and quick-witted, and the professional way in which you approached your job, no matter what happened, amazed me. As we worked together in the months after closing the Maskmaker case, I learned so much more about you than I ever thought I would. Your dedication to the truth, the way you hold loyalty to your family to be more important than anything else, your kindness and inner strength. It's impossible for me to pinpoint the exact time that I realized that I was falling in love with you, Natara, but I can honestly say that I have never been happier in my life than I am to be here with you right now. You amaze me every day, and I eagerly look forward to spending the rest of our lives together"

The black-haired woman smiles softly, reaching up with her left hand to brush a loose strand of her hair out of her eyes before responding with her own vows. "Mal. When I first met you, I wasn't sure what to think. You were so different to all the people I had worked to prior to coming to San Francisco that I wondered if we would get along at all. To my surprise, we did. As we worked together, I slowly started to realize that my feelings for you ran deeper than friendship. It took me a while to be able to admit them to myself, and even longer to find the strength to admit to you how I felt, but I'm so glad I finally found the strength to do so. There is nowhere I would rather be than with you here right now, on the most important day of our lives, and I eagerly look forward to spending the rest of my life with you".

The reverend says something, and Mal is dimly aware of Jeremy pressing something into his left hand and Neha, standing behind her sister, presses something similar into Natara's right. The man speaks again and, though Mal's eyes are fixed purely on the face of the woman standing in front of him, he knows exactly what to say. "I do".

As he slips the ring onto her slender finger and his hand drops to the side, the reverend repeats the question, this time addressing Natara. The raven-haired woman nods. "I do".

As she slips the ring that her sister has handed to her onto his finger, he hears the reverend speaking once more, smiling as the words register. As they lean in, and their lips finally touch, Mal can't help but think _Finally._

After approximately five seconds (though Mal swears that it felt like forever), the two separate, and Natara gives him a soft smile. "I love you" he breathes.

Her smile becomes even more genuine, if that is possible, and she presses her lips against his again, whispering "I love you too".

And Mal knows that if this, the life that he and his new wife are about to create together, is a dream, then it is one that he never, ever, wants to wake up from.

* * *

You know what? I genuinely had a lot of fun writing this chapter.


	8. All That Matters

**Very, very, happy with how this one turned out. So this takes place about three weeks after Beauty Redefined, after Mal and Nat have returned to San Francisco from their Paris vacation. Enjoy!**

**_Disclaimer: I owned them once. Then I woke up. Turned out I didn't own them after all._  
**

* * *

"What about the others?"

The blue-eyed detective blinks in surprise, looking down at his fiancée. "What about them, Nat?"

"You know what I mean, Mal. They're going to find out about our engagement sooner or later. And they probably won't be happy if they find out we've been engaged for almost a month and we haven't told them yet. We need to tell them before they do" the raven-haired woman murmurs softly, looking up into her fiancé's sapphire-blue eyes as she rests her head on his chest.

The detective smiles softly at the younger woman, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I know that, Nat. Believe me, I know we have to tell them. But right now I just want to relax and bask in the fact that we're actually engaged. Is that so selfish of me?"

Natara smiles back, raising herself slightly. Of course, she understands what he means. If she really thinks about it, she has no desire to let anyone else into the 'secret' of the change in their relationship status at all. Ever since Mal proposed to her on the balcony of their hotel in Paris that night, it is as if they've been in their own private bubble of happiness. And she knows it is silly to think it, but she can't help feeling that if they do tell the others their news, the bubble will burst. And at that point, she's really too content for that to happen. "No, Mal, I don't think that's selfish of you at all. If I'm entirely honest with you, I don't want to tell them either. But like I said, they are going to find out one way or another, and we should probably tell them before they find out in a way that we'd prefer they didn't" she replies gently.  
Her fiancé chuckles, a deep, rich, sound that causes his chest to vibrate under her cheek. "That is a very good point indeed, Nat. Alright, how about we invite them out for lunch today? We can tell them then".

She pauses, considering Mal's suggestion, then smiles slightly. "Alternatively, why don't we get them to meet us at the Drunk Tank tonight? We could use the extra time this afternoon to relax and watch a movie together. Or we could read, listen to music, or maybe even enjoy our engagement properly" she offers.

Mal smiles at her, knowing exactly what she's thinking. In one fluid move, he reaches up and pulls his phone out of the charger, quickly composing a group message to be sent to all of their friends. After approximately ten seconds, he pauses, turning the device so that the black-haired woman can see the screen. "How's this?"

'_Drunk Tank at 6:30 tonight. Nat and I have some big news for all of you. See you all there. – Mal. P.S First round's on me._' Nat's grey eyes flicker back and forth as she scans the body of the group text that he's about to send, and she nods. "Send it".

Giving her a nod of agreement, Mal taps the Send button. A couple of seconds later, his phone beeps quietly, alerting him that the message has been sent, and he puts his phone into sleep mode, putting it back on the table behind him. His fiancée wriggles slightly closer to him, his arms automatically wrapping protectively around her waist. "I love you, Natara Williams".

She lifts her head sleepily, pressing a soft kiss to his lips in response, before returning to her earlier position. "I love you too, Mal Fallon".

He's heard the six words hundreds of times before, naturally, but the sound of them escaping from the lips of the beautiful raven-haired woman currently cuddled up to him never fails to amaze him. Smiling, he closes his eyes, and lets the soft breathing of his fiancée lull him to sleep.

**~6:30 that night~**

There's a murmur of activity inside the bar as Mal and Natara step through the doors, activity that seems to stop altogether as the couple approach the table around which their friends are sitting. "Thanks for coming, everyone. You have no idea how much we appreciate it" Mal comments cheerfully as they sit down next to each other.

Amy smiles in response. "No problem! So, you said you guys had big news for us, what is it?"

"We'll tell you once we get our drinks" Mal says quietly.

Their friends nod, and, once their drinks have been ordered and brought over to them, Jeremy coughs quietly. "So, are you going to tell us what this big news is or not?"

Mal and Natara glance momentarily at each other, smiling slightly, and Nat places her hands on the table in front of her. The diamond on top of the engagement ring on her left hand sparkles gently in the dimly-lit bar, and Mal notes the second that it registers with Amy exactly what has changed, the moment that the analyst's eyes widen in disbelief. "Oh my god. Seriously?"

A smile flickers across Natara's face, and she nods, her eyes sparkling happily. Amy flings herself to her feet immediately, reaching across the wooden table, pulling the older woman into a tight hug, almost knocking over her drink in the process. "Wait… what?"

Mal meets the confused eyes of the rest of their group of friends, grinning. "Seriously? Most of you are top-notch crime-solvers, and former members of the SCT, and yet you can't figure this out?" he queries, more amused by their confusion than he is willing to admit.

Natara nudges him playfully. "Oh, let's just tell them already, Mal. It is why we asked them to meet us here in the first place. Besides, Amy's already figured it out, so really it's only fair they get to know too" she says quietly.

Mal gives his fiancée a gentle nod of acknowledgement, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek, before turning his attention back to the others. "The reason Natara and I have asked all of you to meet us here tonight… Well, as you may have guessed from the text message I send earlier, we do indeed have some big news. As I hope that most of you remember, Natara and I have spent much of the last three weeks on vacation in Paris. Well, four nights into our vacation, I decided to do something I had been planning for almost a month before we left. I asked Nat to marry me".

Natara smiles, eyes still sparkling. She lifts her hand slightly, revealing the ring. "As you can see… I said yes. Mal and I are engaged!"

As their friends congratulate them wholeheartedly, Mal turns to his fiancée, smiling softly at her. "Well, that's one thing down".

The raven-haired woman nods, grinning. "Yup. And so many more to go".

Her hand finds his, squeezing reassuringly. "We'll do amazing. We always do" he promises.

And she believes him. Though neither of them are exactly sure what lies ahead of them, they know that they'll always have each other's back. And in that moment, that's really all that matters to them.

* * *

**Thoughts?**


	9. A Christmas To Remember

**Late Christmas present for you all, just some Fallon family fluff surrounding Mal, Nat, and Victoria as Nat's second pregnancy is revealed. This takes place approximately two months before A Stormy Night/After The Storm, and five years after Perfection.**

_**A Beautiful Filth - *blushes* I do my best. I hope you like this one too.**_

_**Disclaimer - Obviously I don't own them.**_

* * *

**~December 23****rd~**

The young woman's eyes flickered back and forth across the crisp white sheet of paper in front of her. She exhaled softly and ran a hand through her shoulder-length raven-black hair as the words sank in. "Well. This certainly explains everything. Why I've been feeling so off the last few days, why the smell of coffee suddenly makes me feel like I want to be sick, and even the fact that my favourite seafood makes me throw up. It wasn't the flu or the stress of the cases that we've been working after all…"

She pulled her iPhone out of her pocket, automatically tapping in a number. After three rings, a young woman's voice answered. "Dr. Baxter's office. How may I help you?"

The woman smiled to herself. "Hi, this is Natara Fallon. I was calling to speak with Dr. Baxter about the results of some bloodwork I had done a couple of days ago"

"Of course, Mrs. Fallon. Hold on a second, I'll transfer your call now".

There was a pause for a few minutes, during which Natara took the opportunity to reread the information on the paper she was holding, before the doctor spoke. "Mrs. Fallon?"

Natara smiled slightly. "Hi, Dr. Baxter"

"Kirsty, the receptionist, said you wanted to speak with me about something. What can I do for you?"

"I was hoping you might be able to confirm the results of some bloodwork I had done there a couple of days ago"

The older man's voice was confused when he next spoke. "I thought you had the paperwork sent over there already, Mrs. Fallon. I don't understand why you would need me to confirm anything for you"

Natara considered her response carefully before replying. "I do have the paperwork here in front of me; I just want to make sure that what I'm seeing is absolutely correct. As a doctor, I'm sure that you can understand the importance of double-checking your patient's records if either you or the patient happens to be unsure about your diagnosis" she said simply.

On the other side of the phone, the doctor nodded. "Alright, just give me a minute to pull up your results on the screen here…"

There was a long pause, during which Natara wondered how she was going to tell Mal if it turned out the paper that she was looking at really was correct, before the doctor spoke again. "Mrs. Fallon, these results show that you have a higher than normal amount of HCG in your blood. Is that what you have on the paper in front of you?"

The raven-haired profiler glanced down at the white paper, carefully noting as much of it as she could, before nodding. "Yes, that's exactly what it says here"

"Good. In that case, Mrs. Fallon, allow me to give you my most sincere congratulations. You're pregnant".

"Thank you".

"My pleasure. I'll more than likely need to see you in a few weeks for a routine check-up, but until then just remember to keep yourself safe, alright?"

Natara smiled softly to herself, glancing up at the decorations she had spent the last few days putting up along with her husband and their daughter. It was Christmas; she had no intentions of doing anything stupid or putting herself in any risk until at least after New Year's Day. "Don't worry about me, Dr. Baxter. I'll be fine. Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to tell Mal"

"I'm sure that, however you tell him, he'll be ecstatic. Good luck to you both, and a Merry Christmas," the doctor responded softly.

The raven-haired woman smiled, the perfect way to tell her husband and their daughter about her pregnancy suddenly coming to her. "I think I might have the perfect way to tell him, actually. Thank you so much for your time, Dr. Baxter, Merry Christmas to you too. Mal and I will see you in a couple of weeks"

And with that, she hung up, slipping her phone into her pocket before standing, grabbing her jacket, and heading for the door. If she was going to surprise her family on Christmas Day with the news, then she had a couple of stops to make first.

**~2 days later, on Christmas Day~**

Natara knelt, reaching behind the tree, taking a couple of seconds to feel for the item she needed before withdrawing a small, square box wrapped in red paper and with a small bow on top. Smiling softly to herself in her anticipation of the way her husband would react to the contents, she turned slightly to offer it to the five year old girl sitting happily beside her. "And this is the last one. Can you give this to your daddy for me, Victoria?"

"Yes, Mommy".

The young girl carefully took the small box from her mother's hands, before standing and walking over to her father, who sat on the couch facing the tree.

The brown-haired detective nodded in acknowledgement as he accepted the small box from his daughter's hands, easily removing the bow and paper. As soon as he saw the small, white, stick nestled on a bed of pink fabric, his eyes widened, knowing exactly what it meant. "Nat, are you… Is this…"

She nodded, responding with "Yes, Mal, it is. And I am. I got the results of the bloodwork that confirmed it back from Dr. Baxter's office two days ago. I would have told you earlier, but I decided it would make the perfect Christmas present".

Seeing the confused look on their daughter's face, Mal chuckled quietly, giving the raven-haired girl a quick hug. "You're going to be a big sister soon, Victoria" he whispered.

"Really?"

Natara laughed. "Yes, Victoria. You really are".

"Yay!"

Mal and Natara chuckled at their daughter's reaction to the news of Natara's pregnancy as they watched her jump around the room in happiness, and Mal pulled his wife into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around her and pressing their lips together in a brief, though tender, kiss. After a couple of seconds, Natara pulled away, resting her forehead against his, an enormous smile playing across her features. "Merry Christmas, Mal".

Her husband smiled back at her as he leaned in again. "Merry Christmas to you too, Natara. Merry Christmas to you too".

And Natara knew, at that moment, that she had been right. It was definitely going to be a Christmas to remember.

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**Leave a Review? Please? I always love hearing your thoughts.**


	10. Introduction

**So all in all, I think I'm rather happy about how this one turned out. Sorry about the wait, I've been kinda busy so far this year with work and stuff. I'm going to try and make up for it though.**

**So this takes place about a week after the events of Perfection.**

**Disclaimer - I'm starting to run out of clever ways to say that I don't own CoD (which I absolutely do not, except in my dreams)**

* * *

_Denni, we have to talk as soon as possible. Preferably either this afternoon or early tomorrow. There's someone that Natara and I would like for both you and Colt to meet. Please call me as soon as you get this. Please. Mal._

Mal tapped a key on his phone, which chimed quietly a couple of minutes later, alerting him to the fact that the message had been sent. Switching his phone off, he reached out, gently squeezing the shoulder of the raven-haired young woman who was fast asleep, her head resting on his chest, and their week-old baby daughter cradled in her arms. "Nat, wake up"

His wife groaned, blinking in confusion as she struggled to sit up. Mal smiled softly, placing a quick, tender, kiss to the younger woman's forehead. "What time is it?" the woman grumbled quietly, careful to avoid disturbing their sleeping daughter.

"Just after 1. You and Victoria slept through lunch, and I thought it best not to disturb the two of you".

"Oh".

The woman paused thoughtfully for a few seconds while she considered her next response, then queried "Did you text Denni?"

"I did. Just a couple of minutes ago, actually. I asked her to call me as soon as she got the message".

As if on cue, his phone chirped quietly in his pocket. "Speaking of which, that'll probably be her now".

Natara sat up, cradling their daughter in her arms. "I suppose I should wake Victoria up now anyway. She might not get any sleep tonight otherwise".

Mal nodded, pulling his cellphone from his pocket and tapping the accept button before putting the device to his ear, only dimly-aware of his raven-haired wife's quiet attempts to wake up their sleeping daughter. "Hello?"

"Uncle Mal? I got your message, what's going on?"

As he considered his response, a cry filled the air. Natara rose from her seat beside him, muttering an apology, and left the room, muttering comforting words to the infant girl in her arms as she did so. Mal smiled slightly before turning his attention back to the younger woman on the other side of the phone. _So much for surprises…_ "Was that… a baby crying?" Denni's voice queried.

"Maybe. Do you remember the house that Natara and I moved into about four months ago? The Pacific Heights one?"

"I do, yes".

A slight smile flickered across Mal's features. "Good. How soon can you and Colt get there?"

"Why? Uncle Mal, what's going on?"

"You got my message, therefore you know there's someone that Natara and I want to introduce you and Colt to. You heard a baby crying. Think about it. You didn't answer my question by the way. How soon can you be here?"

"We can be there in forty-five minutes, maybe thirty depending on how bad the traffic today is, if we leave now".

Mal paused thoughtfully. That gave them more than enough time to take care of anything their daughter needed. Perfect. "Alright, that works out perfectly. I'll explain everything when the two of you get here, I promise".

The brown-haired girl on the other side of the line smiled. "Alright, Uncle Mal, we'll be there soon then! Bye!"

~Approximately forty minutes later~

Mal opened the door, pulling the brown-haired girl on the other side into a hug. "Thank you for coming, Denni. It really means a lot to us".

His niece shrugged. "Well, you did say it was important. And I was curious about the crying I heard while we were talking".

Mal grinned slightly. "Well, I suppose that's a good enough reason. Alright, come in. As I said earlier, there's someone that Natara and I would very much like to introduce both you and Colt to. Someone who's going to be playing a rather important part in our lives from now on"

"Well then, what're we waiting for?" a brown-haired man queried as he walked over to join them, slipping an arm around Denni's side and nodding to Mal in greeting.

"Well, we were waiting for you… But enough talk, come inside"

The younger couple followed the detective into the house, their footsteps echoing on the polished wooden floors as Mal led the way into the spacious living room. As they walked into the room, Natara stood from her seat on the couch, arms folded carefully around the girl she was holding, and smiled in greeting. "Denni. Colt. Thank you both so much for coming on such short notice".

The brown-haired younger girl nodded. "No problem! As I told Uncle Mal just outside, we were curious about what's going on".

Natara smiled gently, one finger absently stroking the stomach of her sleeping daughter. "Well then, let's not waste any more time. Mal?"

The detective nodded, pausing for a second to consider what he was about to say before speaking again. "Denni, Colt, the reason we asked the two of you to come here today is because we wanted to introduce you to someone who's going to be playing a very important part in our lives for at least the next 15 years, maybe even longer. We'd like you both to meet Victoria Eliza Fallon, our daughter as of a week ago".

Denni blinked in surprise. "I have a cousin?"

Natara smiled softly, pressing a feather-light kiss to her sleeping daughter's head. "That's right. Would you like to hold her?"

"Really?"

"Of course. You are family, after all. So, what do you say? Do you want to hold your week-old cousin?"

The brown-haired girl nodded eagerly. "Yes, please".

* * *

**So there we go. R&amp;R? I'd definitely love to hear your thoughts...**


	11. An Easy Decision To Make

**I am so sorry this took so long to write! Here's the next Chapter of this arc! This one picks up almost immediately after #2, Consideration, so you might need to reread that if it's been a while. I've already got plans for the next one, which will take place a couple of weeks before Beauty Redefined and involve Mal making his plans for the story in question.**

_**Disclaimer - I don't own Cause of Death.**_

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"And through here is the spacious lounge and dining room, along with the adjoining kitchen".

The real estate agent's footsteps echoed through the hallway as she led the way through the house, Mal and his wife just a couple of steps behind her. Natara glanced over at the detective, who was looking around, deep in thought. "Hey".

He glanced over at her, and she gave him a warm smile, squeezing his hand gently. "Penny for your thoughts, Mal?"

"I was just marvelling at how big this house is. Looking at it from the outside, you really wouldn't expect the interior to be so amazingly open. Especially considering how cramped the last few houses we've had to search when we've been brought out here on cases have been" her husband replied softly.

The raven-haired woman smiled, nodding in agreement. "You're absolutely right, Mal. I hadn't thought about it from the outside, probably due to it looking so much like every other house here, but the interior's just so much more open than the last few places. I can actually see us living here".

"So can I"

Natara's right hand unconsciously slipped down to rest on her stomach, and an immediate flurry of movement against it caused her to gasp. "I think our daughter agrees with us about this house, Mal"

Her husband gave her a questioning look, and she nodded wordlessly, giving his hand a gentle tug so that it was resting right next to hers. His palm was almost immediately met by a flurry of movement identical to that which had met Natara's, and the detective's smile widened as he met his wife's eyes. "I don't think I'll ever grow tired of feeling her move like that. It feels so absolutely incredible" he said quietly.

"I know. Whenever she moves I swear it feels like there's a swarm of butterflies fluttering around inside me. It's just the most incredible thing I've ever felt. She's our daughter, Mal. She… Victoria… is our daughter and we can actually feel her moving".

They were broken from their thoughts by a gentle cough from the doorway, and glanced over to find the real estate agent watching them, an expression of impatience clear on her face. "Sorry to interrupt the two of you during what looks to be a rather touching moment, but are we going to continue the tour any time soon? I really don't have all day" she said.

Mal and Natara glanced at each other, the FBI agent nodding. "Of course. Sorry".

"Perfectly alright. Now, if you'll follow me, I'll show you the expansive backyard and pool area".

"Very well then. Lead the way".

**~A month later~**

She sat on the swinging chair on the back porch, staring out at the setting sun as it sank leisurely towards the plum trees that surrounded their property. The surface of the pool that had been added just days before they had first viewed the house glistened invitingly as it was hit by the last rays of the sun, and Natara sighed contentedly, letting her eyes slip closed as one hand drifted to rest on her stomach. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Her eyes opening at her husband's voice, she looked up, giving the brown-haired detective a soft smile as he lowered himself onto the chair next to her. She snuggled into his side, her head resting on his shoulder, and one of his arms slipped around her waist, holding her close to him. "What were you thinking about, Nat?" Mal queried gently, pressing a soft kiss to his wife's forehead.

"I was just remembering the exact day that we knew this house was perfect for us" the raven-haired woman replied softly.

"Ah. A month ago, when Victoria started kicking as if in agreement with us when we both said we could see ourselves living here?"

Natara nodded. "That was exactly the day that I meant, yes".

"Yes, that was a very good day. Do you want to know what I think?"

His wife shifted in his arms to make herself more comfortable, tilting her head slightly so that she was looking directly into his eyes. "What do you think, Mal?"

Her husband smiled softly at her, tilting his head down to press his lips against hers in a soft kiss for a few seconds before pulling away. "I think that, when the time comes in a couple of months, you are going to make an absolutely amazing mother. I think the way that you reacted when you felt Victoria kicking you is the perfect proof of that".

Natara smiled softly at her husband's words, her eyes glinting with unshed tears of joy. "Thank you, Mal. For the record, I think the way you reacted proves you're going to be an amazing father to Victoria too".

Leaning in almost simultaneously, their lips met tenderly, and they remained that way until the last rays of the sun vanished below the horizon before pulling apart. Natara gave her husband a gentle smile, easing herself out of his arms and getting to her feet before extending a hand to help him up. "Come on, let's go back in. I'm hungry, and you owe me dinner".

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**There! Enjoy!**

**The songs I was listening to when I wrote this were:**

**Are You With Me, by Lost Frequencies**

**Comes A Time, by Neil Young**

**Please leave a Review, I love hearing your thoughts!**


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